Hide and Hunt
by Justice Ike
Summary: RvB  *there should be a category for this...*  - Tex leads six other Freelancers on a raid to rescue to the Alpha A.I. unit. Features a couple of OCs and their A.I.s. Hint of YorkxOC.
1. Lone Star of Texas

_I didn't think you'd find me out here. Didn't think anyone would. I guess that just proves my theory, huh? No matter where we are, we'll always find each other, somehow. No-one can ever drive us apart, no matter how hard they try. We'll die together, you and I. That's what I believe..._

**-H.**

* * *

><p><em>How on earth did I end up here...?<em>

A black armoured soldier picked their way through a dense patch of overgrown undergrowth, trying not to get snared in thorny roots and branches. The figure's reflective, gold tinted visor masked the exasperated expression of its owner's face hidden beneath the helmet on their head. This jungle, forest, swamp..._place_, whatever the hell people called it, was a nightmare to get through, even for the Freelancer soldier who had been struggling for hours now. The figure stopped moving and sat on a branch, assault rifle laid across its armour clad legs.

"I'll just rest here a few minutes..." A slightly filtered, but obviously female voice emerged from the vents of the dark helmet and into the still humid air. "Surely there must be something around here that is interesting...- " The soldier cut herself off quickly, taking a brief look around her for a moment.  
><em>Damn it, Texas, you are talking to yourself again. Omega's wandered off again, remember?<em>Tex berated herself mentally. She was used to her A.I. running off and jumping between people on random occasions, but this was the longest he'd ever been without coming back to her. She still wasn't quite used to not having his chaotic ramblings going on in her head, nor having no-one to talk to. Tex nearly laughed at the latter thought as it swirled in her head. Omega wasn't the best at conversation; even with him around, she was sure that she was talking to herself most of the time.

A branch snapping nearby snapped the Freelancer out of her reverie. Enemies, so soon after she had just gotten away from them? Tex was almost certain she had lost them._ Then again,_ she supposed, _this is their home. They can probably travel through it far better than I can, even with my training._She grabbed her rifle and rose to her feet, training the weapon on the undergrowth. Shouts that sounded bestial and tribal filled the air around her. Tex raised her rifle straight vertical and fired a loud warning shot into the air.

**Bang!**

Instantly, her pursuers screamed and seemed to scatter in all directions, leaving Tex a free path to continue walking. Holding her weapon close to her chest and her erratically beating heart, she pressed on quickly, branches scratching her armour as she brushed past them at speed. As predicted, shouts sounded from all around her, indicating her enemy was back, and Tex broke out into a sprint, leaping logs, ploughing through formerly still waters and swinging one handed off low hanging vines. She could hear the feet of her pursuers clearly now, like tribal drumbeats - du-dum, dum, dum - on the forest floor, in rhythm with the timbre of her own metallic feet and the bass of her own chaotic heart, lub-dub, lub-dub. The melodic pursuit was not to last, however, and the music was soon shattered when one of the creatures Tex was trying to evade shot from nowhere. It landed on top of her and they both rolled into knee deep swamp water.

"Umph!" The creature's tackle knocked Tex's weapon from her hands and most of the wind out of her. By the time she came to, she was face down in mud underwater, having the life choked out of her. In a blind panic, she fumbled for her knife and plunged it into the nearest part of the creature (its thorax) without a moment's hesitation. Tex was satisfied when she heard the distorted cries of a beast in pain and she could suddenly breathe again; though, not for long as mud and water was now starting to clog up the vents of her helmet. She pushed herself up and out of the water and with a water-logged hiss of air, she removed her helmet and tossed it to dry land. As a mass of medium length red hair fell over her face and green eyes, Tex breathed in deep, getting the air that her lungs so craved. Finally, she brushed her hair back with a soaked, armour clad hand and her eyes glinted, utterly focused on her enemy who was double bent on dry land in pain trying in vain to get the knife out of his chest while the rest of his people watched, phasing in and out of cover. Tex smiled and saw her chance.

_Payback is a bitch, and so am I! Give no mercy, expect none back!_

She ran at the beast, hair flowing behind her like fire, death in her eyes and a war cry on her lips. She was going to make them wish they'd never crossed paths with her. Weapon or no weapon, she was going to _**kill**_ them.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry for being away a long time. School caught up with me in the end. Must now get reused to this site... By the way, story is also on dA. But unlike there, the chapters here are named.<p> 


	2. Hide and Seek

Tex bent low to retrieve her helmet that lay on the ground where she chucked it, before standing tall to survey her surroundings once more. The joints of her armour were sodden with water and the metal itself was caked with mud and blood, but she did not care. A little water would soon fix that if she wanted, and the sight and smell of death more than made up for looking like complete and utter trash. Tex's lips curled slightly into a devilish smirk before she fixed her helmet onto its rightful place upon her head and went to go retrieve her assault rifle. After dusting it down and inspecting it for damage, she pressed on, content with the knowledge that there would be no more interruptions in her journey other than those she facilitated herself.

It was not long before, finally, the trees began to part and the sun's rays beat down mercilessly on Tex. Her suspicions before about there being a place of interest near the forest was soon confirmed: sprawled before her, a labyrinth of ruined buildings lay waiting to be explored. Tex noted their, albeit old, military appearance; _Maybe there is something that can help me in there..._she mused in her mind. Rifle held low, she sprinted off towards the ruins, unaware she was being watched.

Tex slowed as she neared the buildings, eventually moving no faster than a crawl as she entered the nearest of them. It was dark inside, so dark she could barely see her own hands before her face. The Freelancer advanced cautiously, rifle drawn to her chest just like in the forest. She strained all her senses, trying to ascertain if anything else was here or not. Water dripping from the walls occasionally made her hairs stand on end, and her own noisy breath made her think someone else was there with her. _Come on Tex, it is just your senses playing on you. No-one's been here for years, by the looks of things. You are the only person here, so pull yourself together!_She was berating herself mentally again.

Though...if that was the case...if she was truly alone...then why couldn't she shake the feeling that someone else was watching her..?

_**Crash! Ding, di-da-ling!**_

Tex swiftly raised her weapon towards the source of the noise. There _was_ someone else here! For a moment, she didn't dare move, didn't even _breathe_. Her heart was racing tenfold and the assault rifle in her hands was quivering. Finally, Tex released the breath she'd been unconsciously holding and it came out as a deep sigh. _Hallucinations._Maybe Omega had sent her mad just as Epsilon had done the same to Wash.

_**Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle...**_

Tex whirled around again, but she still couldn't see anything. Damn, why did it have to be so dark in here? She advanced forward a few paces, only to stiffen when she heard what sounded like a bestial growl. _I thought I killed those guys...unless...please don't let it be__**him**__..._ Tex advanced another step, only to be thoroughly confused as the growling turned to the sound of childish laughter. _What the...!_  
>"Who's there?" She called out loud, but only the echo of her voice off unseen metal walls replied in return. Tex sighed again, before calling once more, louder this time; "Helloooo? Show yourself!" Again, only the echo of her voice answered her. "Damn it. I really must be going mad..."<p>

Suddenly, off in the distance and barely noticeable, Tex could just about make out the form of a young girl dead ahead of her. The girl giggled and pointed at the Freelancer, before running away into the darkness. Tex slung her rifle on her back and quickly gave chase.  
>"Hey, wait up! I just want to talk to you!"<br>By the time she came to where the girl had previously been standing, Tex couldn't seem to see her anywhere. The only thing that lay before her was a maze created by a load of storage crates. The girl who could have all the information she needed could be anywhere in this dump now. Why were things never easy?  
><em>Well, here goes nothing...<em>  
>Tex decided on the central entrance to the maze and flung herself down it at top speed, twisting and turning her head quickly to look around her in case she missed anything. She spun and weaved with the passageways of the maze until she was sure she was thoroughly lost.<br>"Great, I'm lost, and I can't find that kid anywhere. Why do people always run away?" Tex grumbled at no-one in particular before she shook her head. She already knew the answer to that question.

Deciding it would be better to explore this dump hole than to play a pointless game of hide and seek, Tex drew her weapon and continued on walking in the darkness. After trudging aimlessly for what seemed like forever, Tex soon stumbled across the girl again and she half forgot who she was talking as a stream of words came unbidden from her mouth.

"All right! Don't you dare move, or I swear, I'll...-!"  
>But before Tex could finish her sentence, the girl turned and showed half of her face. Her dusty brown hair masked her expression, but Tex could tell by the redness of her blue eyes that she'd been crying. Her hitched breathing was also a fairly good indicator. Even if she hadn't ordered her not to move, Tex realised the girl had no intention of running anymore. She swung her rifle onto her back.<br>"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I..." Tex swallowed; she wasn't great with kids, let alone upset and frightened ones. "I just want to talk to you." The black armoured soldier took a step forward.  
>"No!" The girl's violent reaction made Tex jump, scaring her more than she would like to admit. "Stay away! Stay away!"<br>"Ok, calm down..." The Freelancer held her hands up defensively. "See, I'm not moving anymore. I won't come any closer until you say. Sound fair to you?"  
>The little girl nodded meekly. Tears began oozing from her eyes.<br>"Anyway, what's a pretty girl like you doing in a dump like this?" Tex questioned her gently. When she received no reply, she continued, "Don't you realise how dangerous it is?"  
>"I can look after myself." The girl stated simply and defiantly. "I don't need anyone to help me."<br>"Well, that's good to hear. But you know, you don't have to be scared anymore."  
>"I'm not scared! And I'm not stupid, either. I know what you are trying to do!" The girl retorted angrily. "Why do you care so much about me, anyway?"<br>"Well...I..." Tex was dumbstruck; outsmarted by a girl under half her age. It wasn't so much her anger that left her speechless; it was how much her question to her rammed home. Tex knew that nearly every answer would be a lie, including not answering full stop. _There were just some things training didn't prepare you for..._ "Listen kid, I don't want to see you get hurt, kay? No-one is going to hurt you again, not even me."  
>"That's exactly what the <em>other one<em> said!"  
>Underneath her visor, Tex's emerald eyes snapped up. "'Other one'? What 'other one'?"<br>"He wanted something, said he wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't know and he got angry and he..." The girl choked on her sobs, "He hurt me! I told him the truth and he hurt me..!" The girl ran off into the dark.  
>"Wait up!" Tex ran after her again, but the girl's screams stopped her in her tracks.<br>"You are all alike! Go away and leave me alone!"  
>The black armoured warrior looked around her for the source of the voice, but the girl had disappeared once again. Everything faded into deathly, eerie silence, as it was before she arrived.<p>

_Heck, if I ever retire from the military, there is no way in hell I'm ever having kids. Period._ Tex grumbled in her mind before deciding it would be better if she left the kid and this place alone. _Now...where's the exit at?_

Before she could move, however, Tex was grabbed by unseen hands from behind and the curved edge of a glinting blade was pressed against her throat. A soft spoken, familiar voice growled in her ear.

_"Don't...move!"_


	3. Broken Illusions

"Don't move!"

Tex struggled momentarily against the hold of her captor, but it didn't take her long to work out that she wasn't going anywhere. She concluded that the whole innocent child thing had just been an act to lure her into this position. _Speaking of which, why does my captor sound a lot like her? And the blade at my throat...no, it can't be..._ Tex allowed all the muscles in her body to slacken, until she was practically slumped against her hidden assailant. _I've seen that blade before..._  
>"Would you stop making that sound? It is driving me crazy!"<br>The Freelancer bit her tongue as she became aware that all this time, she had been making a low hissing sound. She felt the blade press closer to her throat. Any closer, then it would slice through her throat. _Where have I seen that damned blade before?_

There was no time to dwell on any thoughts, however. Tex could feel her captor's grip loosening and she knew it was now or never. Steeling herself, she quickly delivered a swift kick to what she thought was her captor's shin with the sole of her left boot. Her attacker jumped back and yelped in pain, releasing Tex from captivity. Without hesitating, she drew her rifle to face her attacker...only to find they had gone again.

_How the hell?_ The Freelancer scanned around her quickly, the muzzle of her weapon following her line of sight as she turned. As she came back around to her original position, something knocked her rifle from her hands and the blade from before was pressed to her chest, poised for her heart. Despite her predicament, Tex somehow managed to remain calm and look her assailant – who was an older version of the girl she met previously – in the eye.  
>"Tell me why I shouldn't just impale you now." She hissed, eyes glaring at Tex.<br>The black clad warrior did not reply. Masked by her visor, her green eyes darted from the girl's face to the blade at her chest and back to her face again.  
>"Answer me, bitch!" The blade pushed further against Tex's chest, leaving a small dent in her armour.<br>But her attacker's anger only served to amuse the Freelancer. Underneath her helmet, she was smiling. "Tell me, have times really changed that much?" She asked calmly, her voice laced with sarcasm.  
>"What are you blazing on about? Just answer my damn question! Why shouldn't I just kill you?"<br>Unbeknownst to her attacker, Tex's smile broadened. "Because...well, if you did that, you'd kill the only friend you have left, _Cal._"

The girl visibly stiffened and stared at Tex with a wild look of disbelief in her eye. For a moment, neither moved, not even to speak, before the girl moved her weapon away from Tex's chest and turned away from the Freelancer. Another brief period of silence followed before the girl's voice emerged from her, slightly unsteady and in a different tone from before:  
>"Well. Now there's a name I've not heard in ages." There was a pause, before she added, <em>"Texas."<em>  
>Tex let out a snort. "Mutual."<p>

There was a sudden shimmer of light, and the girl faded into nothingness, a mere illusion, and in her place stood a six foot tall warrior clad in black and crimson armour vaguely resembling Tex's. The breastplate was more ornate looking, though, and the two mismatched crimson shoulder pads were vastly different from the other soldier's own. The helmet was what was completely different – it was slightly more grey coloured and had a more knightly appearance to it. The visor of it resembled golden eyes glittering in the night.  
>"So, how have you been holding up, Cal?" Tex asked, putting her rifle away.<br>"First of all, it's not Cal anymore, and damn me to hell if I ever associate myself with them again. It's Huntingdon – Hunt." The other Freelancer (or rather ex Freelancer) replied slightly bitterly, withdrawing her wrist blades back into her armour.  
>"Sorry. I forget about your new name."<br>"Tch." Hunt waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine. Anyway, to answer your question, I'm all right as can be, I suppose. All right for a warrior on the run, anyway. What about you?"  
>"Hah, you know me. Always getting into danger." Tex allowed herself to laugh, before she became serious again. "But...this is not what I'm here for."<br>"I didn't think you were coming for a social call."  
>"You didn't? Well, truth be told, I wasn't really looking for you, either."<br>"Not consciously, you weren't." Hunt nodded knowingly. "But subconsciously, maybe."  
>"What do you mean, exactly?" Tex questioned.<br>"Well, I had this idea. About the both of us." The other soldier cleared her throat. "You see, I didn't think you'd find me out here. I didn't think anyone would. Should've known, really...that if anyone was gonna find me, it'd be you, Tex. And you finding me here, right now...I guess that just proves my theory, huh? No matter where we are, how lost we are or what state we're in, we'll always find each other, somehow. No matter what they throw at us. We're just...bound together, it seems. No-one can ever drive us apart, no matter how hard they try. Tex and Hunt...We'll die together, you and I. That's what I believe. And they'll remember us, Tex. We'll be immortal, someday." There was another pause as Hunt shook her head. "I'll let you think on that one later. But back to the topic in hand. You're here because of the Alpha, aren't you?"  
>"How did you...-!"<br>"Because anything but just isn't your style." Hunt interrupted Tex before she could finish. "And had our roles been reversed, I'd only be finding you for the same reason."

"What's this about Alpha?" A new, masculine voice echoed around the pair, startling them both, Tex more so than Hunt.  
>"Rho? Is that...you?" Tex stuttered slightly in disbelief.<br>"Hmph. Tex. Glad you remembered me." A small, glowing being clad in grey armour floated nearby Hunt.  
>"Still not in your good books, I see."<br>"It's not you, Tex. It never was. It was O." The A.I. admitted. "Say, that chaotic freak isn't with you right now?"  
>"Nope. Sorry, Rho." Tex shook her head.<br>"Huh. Shame on us all, then. I sure wish I could show O a thing or two..."  
>"Hey Rho, deactivate. Tex and I...we need to have a private talk." Hunt interrupted her A.I. sternly.<br>"You know, nothing ever stays private in that head of yours long, Hunt."  
>"You know what I mean. I'll call you if I need you." Rho nodded and faded out into nothingness, before Hunt turned her attention back towards Tex. "What?"<br>"How on earth do you still have Rho after all this time?"  
>"It's a long story. Remind me to tell you it later. Anyway, have you learned anything more about Alpha?"<br>"The corruption in Project Freelancer runs deep, Hunt. Deeper than anyone can ever imagine." Tex bowed her head and sighed. "I haven't been able to find out much myself, but some other rogue Freelancers and I have been piecing together each other's notes and we found out this: Project Freelancer was only ever given one A.I. to work with. What they did to it...are still doing to it...it sickens me. They tortured it to fragment it into the A.I. units that we were all given..."  
>"I heard about that in my travels, too, but I had always doubted the truth a little. What they've done...it disgusts us. Both Rho and I. That's why we left. We couldn't stand working for something so...<em>immoral.<em>" Hunt shook her head.  
>"You've been hunting for information too? What did you find out?"<br>"Nothing we didn't already know. We can't even get close. Every time we do, our goal just snaps out of reach."  
>"Well, I and the other rogue Freelancers managed to fit together a few things, and we worked out where they're experimenting on Alpha. I'm supposed to be going to meet the others at a rendezvous in a couple of days from now." Tex paused. "We are then going to attempt a rescue of the Alpha."<br>"And you need mine and Rho's help." Hunt finished for her. "There's a catch, isn't there?" Without waiting for a reply, Hunt requested that Rho grace their presence once more. "I think Rho should listen to this, too. If this works, what happens next?"  
>"We'll fix the Alpha. Hunt, I'm sorry, but that means...It's the only way we can do this."<br>Hunt and Rho looked at each other momentarily. Beyond her visor, the former wore a pained expression. She knew this might happen one day and yet...she rather liked Rho and his sense of justice. But she also knew that this couldn't go on...  
>"Please, Hunt, Rho. Whatever happened to bringing justice? I mean, I know your personalities have changed radically, but deep down, you still have those morals. Are you just going to stand by and let them torture Alpha more and more? I can't imagine what it is like for it, but I can't imagine it being pleasant."<br>"I just don't know, Tex." Hunt let out a defeated sigh.  
>"Come on, Hunt!" Tex punched her lightly on the shoulder. "Some of your other friends are there, too. Like York, for example."<br>"York's there?" She smiled when Tex nodded. "Well...you are right, I still have morals. This mission is bound to be dangerous too, and I've never shied away from a good challenge...All right, count us in. Let's give these fuckers hell and what for!"  
>"I agree with Hunt. For justice and all that, right?" Rho punched the air.<br>"That's the Hunt and Rho I know. I'll let you guys get ready. We'll leave as soon as."  
>Hunt nodded, and Rho faded away again. "Oh, and Tex?" She held out a clenched fist.<p>

Tex immediately recognised the age old gesture. _Some things never change._She obliged gratefully and pounded Hunt's fist with her own before she watched her old comrade vanish into the darkness.

_We'll die together, you and I...And they'll remember us. Tex and Hunt...We'll be immortal, someday._

Inside her helmet, Tex smiled, and in that instant, she believed what Hunt said would eventually be true.


	4. Scars of Hunt

Tex let out a hollow sigh and tapped a foot impatiently on the ground as she waited by a steel container for Hunt to get herself ready. She pondered what was taking her so long. Surely it didn't take half an hour to get ready? Back in the Freelancer days, Hunt was always the first out to training in the mornings and last back in the quarters at night, Tex remembered clearly. So what was she doing now? The black armoured Agent drew in a deep breath.  
>"Hey Hunt, are you nearly done back there?" She shouted into the darkness on the exhale. There was no response, not even a grumble or a clattering of metal in acknowledgement. Tex called again more forcefully, but also with slight concern. "Huntingdon? Are you all right back there? Because we kind of need to get going soon!"<p>

Still silence. Tex sighed again. She knew Hunt often had antisocial swings, but now really wasn't the time. If she was having a swing...then, friends or not, she would have to beat some sense back into Hunt. Pushing off the crate she was leant up against, Tex wondered off into the darkness to go and find Hunt. It didn't take her long to find the ex Freelancer in the darkness, surprisingly. She was sat on small crate, helmetless, with a hung head and something in her hands. Tex wondered briefly if she ought to approach or not. Even though she was her comrade, she had never been good at dealing with her mood swings. York, she noted, was always the one for that. Tex decided it would be best to try anyway.  
>"Hunt? Are you all right?" She asked, unusually tentatively. Her fellow soldier did not respond, however; instead, Rho appeared in a flash of grey light.<br>"I do not think she wishes to talk." He answered Tex bluntly. "My scans indicate she is...remembering something."  
>"Remembering what?" Tex asked the A.I., concern growing a little.<p>

Before he could reply, Hunt turned around, and Rho vanished. The first thing the Freelancer noticed was her companion's hardened expression. The second thing she noticed was that there were scars over her left eye and the eye itself was pretty much missing. Tex cringed mentally, and had to force herself to keep her stomach in check. Never had she seen such a brutal injury, not even in all her time in the military. It made her injury of York's eye under Omega's influence look like a bruise.  
>"Wow, that's <em>messed up<em>." Tex somehow managed to find her voice. It was the only thing she could say.  
>"No better than how <em>you<em> are looking." Hunt's remaining emerald eye narrowed, indicating Tex's still muddy armour.  
>"What cockbite fucked <em>that<em> up, then?"  
>"Agent Maine."<br>Tex was surprised at Hunt's bitterness. "I thought you and him were friends?"  
>"That was before he became mentally unstable and went rogue...and I don't mean the you or I kind of rogue, either." Hunt snorted in reply. "He attacked me. Tried to steal Rho for some reason. When I made it clear I wasn't giving him up without a fight, he battered me into submission and he..." She cut herself off.<br>"All that stuff you said as the girl...you were talking about him?" The black armoured Freelancer shook her head. "I know Maine went rogue and everything and I heard he was chasing Freelancers...but I didn't think he was _that_ bad. How'd you get out?"  
>"The same way I tried to fool you. I had Rho summon my Illusion enhancement after I stabbed him in the ankle so I could turn into an ice bear for better speed. I ran away, jumped off a cliff, landed in a river, and washed downstream 'til I ended up here. A tribe healed me up, gave me a new helmet and I hid out here. I've been here ever since until you found me."<br>Underneath her helmet, Tex's face twisted into a frown. For the first time in years, she let a greater amount of emotion slip than she normally would and put a sympathetic hand on one of Hunt's shoulders. "I'm sorry."  
>"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." She pushed the hand off her shoulder. "It's all past now. I just need to forget about it." Hunt paused, tied a black eye patch over her missing eye before grabbing her Energy Swords and shotgun, placing them out of the way in the correct places of her armour. Her steel façade returned. "Right, then. Let's go."<br>"Your helmet." Tex's serious mask slipped back on.  
>"Oh...yeah." Hunt picked up the silver-grey object and placed it over her head. The end result gave her a rather intimidating visage. "How do I look?"<br>"Ready to mess up a load of Project Freelancer ass."  
>"In that case, <em>after you<em>."

* * *

><p>Tex and Hunt soon found themselves outside again, where the sky had now clouded over and a steady drizzle of rainfall had started. The two soldiers, however, paid no attention to the precipitation and instead discussed plans about how they were getting to the rendezvous point Tex had set up with the other rogue Freelancers.<br>"So, we eventually agreed that the best rendezvous point would be in the mountains, north of Sandtrap." Tex explained, pointing to Rho who was currently posing as a holographic map for the pair. "Trouble is, it would take us a week if we walked there from here, and I was supposed to be meeting them in a few days."  
>Hunt surprisingly laughed and slapped Tex on the back. Hard. The motion sent her staggering forwards a little and a half glare formed beneath her visor, until Hunt spoke: "Haha, Tex. Who said anything about <em>walking?<em> Rho, deactivate. Come with me."  
>As the map faded away, Hunt turned on the balls of her feet and began to walk towards one of the smaller buildings of the ruin, with Tex following behind curiously. The pair soon stumbled across a workshop like facility, which contained:-<p>

"Ghosts?" Tex was surprised at the presence of the two hovering vehicles in the building.  
>"It took me ages to find all the parts to fix the pair of these things up." Hunt nodded, smiling underneath her helmet. "I figured that you would eventually find me, so I repaired them. You always seem to find me."<br>The black armoured Freelancer hopped onto one and started it up, seemingly satisfied when she heard the hum of her vehicle's engine. "Are you going to stop talking, or are we going to do some butt kicking?"  
>The other soldier quickly sat on the other vehicle and started it up. "Race ya."<br>"What?" Tex asked, slightly confused, but Hunt had already sped off without her. She quickly pursued, knowing that Hunt, despite all she had been through, hadn't really changed at all. She knew that, even after all these years, Hunt knew her mindset and knew exactly what to say to her when. Tex laughed and called over the radio, "All right, you're on!" as the pair of them disappeared into forest under lightning cleaved skies.

It was good to feel so young again.


	5. Event Horizon

"Man, what's taking Tex so long?" A brown and white armoured rogue Freelancer let out a sigh, tapping their foot impatiently. "I mean, she organises this thing, and she's late herself. What's up with that?"  
>"Ah, quit complaining, C.T. She'll get here when she gets here." An obviously female, lilac coloured soldier with green secondary colour replied, slapping her comrade on the shoulder lightly. "Also, turn that filter of yours off. Everyone here knows you're a girl, so why'd ya keep using it?"<br>"I prefer the term 'tomboy', if you don't mind, South. And I'm not turning my voice filter off." A growl emerged through C.T's helmet.  
>"Fine, suit yourself, <em>Connecticut<em>." South taunted her, knowing C.T disliked being called by her full codename.  
>Before C.T could retort, however, their mini debate was interrupted by a blue and cream armoured soldier who was also with them. "Who are we waiting for, again?" The quiet voice seemed to emerge rather unsteadily from the helmet.<br>The brown and white armoured Freelancer let out another sigh, this time more exasperated, like the question had been asked before. "Tex. We are waiting for _Tex_."  
>"Hey, don't get annoyed with Massachusetts. She can't help it." South defended the blue and cream clad Freelancer. "No-one's really told Massa much at all."<br>"She'll be here." Massa replied softly, not really paying attention to what had been said before. "I know she'll make it here."  
>"Like hell she will! I think that A.I. of yours has put too much optimism in your head, woman." C.T folded her arms across her chest. "I wouldn't be surprised if Tex has already stormed the place we're headed and taken the Alpha for herself."<br>"Hey, C, relax. Tex wouldn't do something like that. Massa's right, she'll be here." A new, masculine voice belonging to a tan and silver armoured Freelancer called from inside the mouth of the cave the three female soldiers were stood outside. York. "Tex has made it for every single meeting we've had. She won't miss this one, not now we are this close."  
>"Hah. You're one to defend, York. After what she did to you!" C.T was quick to attack York's defence of Tex. "You going soft, or something?"<br>"For the last time, C, that was Omega who did that to me while controlling Tex." Underneath his helmet, York was frowning. He leaned heavily on a rock face, pondering why he was even debating this.  
>"She didn't say sorry, though, did she?"<br>"Tex didn't have to." York finally walked a little further into the cave where the only other male Freelancer present, the purple and green clad North (South's brother) was stood, signifying he wanted no further part in the debate.

"Hey, man." North greeted him, but otherwise didn't move from his arms folded, head bowed down position. "Those ladies burning you up out there? Trust me, never argue with them. You'll only come off worse in the end. I mean, I have enough trouble reining her in at times." He nodded, indicating his sister, who was still debating with C.T and had somehow got Massa involved too.  
>"Yeah, I'm starting to realise the hard way." York sighed, but a smile still managed to split his face. "I'm so glad I've got you here. I'd go crazy otherwise. Women are so damn hard to talk to, sometimes."<br>"Well, except one." The purple armoured Freelancer prodded at his comrade.  
>"Yeah..."<br>"You still miss her?"  
>"Miss who?"<br>"Cal. California."  
>"A little." York admitted. "But I've had too many other things to think about recently, like this for instance..."<br>"Hey look, someone's coming!" Massa's excited voice cut through the air, interrupting both York and the debate between C.T and South.  
>"Finally!" The former almost cheered. "It's about time Tex showed up. I'm gagging for some action!"<br>"I'm glad she's here too, but who's the rider of the other Ghost?" South asked, puzzled.  
>Her question prompted both York and North to come out the cave they were in and peer over the cliffside alongside the three female Freelancers. None of them, save for York, seemed to recognise the black and crimson clad soldier racing behind Tex. Under the mask of his visor, York's lips curved into a smile.<br>"Something tells me we've got a new friend." He whispered knowingly. "And something else tells me that's why Tex is later than usual."

* * *

><p>The five ex Freelancers stood lined up, practically to attention, as the two purple Ghosts and their black armoured riders pulled up slowly to a halt outside the cave they were staying in. Tex was the first of the two to dismount, followed shortly by Hunt. Most of the ex Freelancers present seemed puzzled by Hunt's presence, like they seemed to recognise her, but didn't. Only York and C.T seemed to know who she was.<p>

"Well, look what the cowgirl dragged out of the wagon." If C.T had her helmet off, she would've spat on the floor. She wasn't so fond of Hunt. "_California_."  
>Hunt could feel her blood boiling already. She'd never been a fan of C.T's, but she had never once shown so. With that greeting though, Hunt swore she could feel the blades in her arms twitching.<br>"_This_ is California?" South spoke in a tone of disbelief. "The same California that stayed loyal to Freelancer long after we defected? Gosh, Tex, you sure know how to pick them."  
>Tex studied her comrades carefully. She hadn't been expecting this reaction. She thought that C.T would say something at her, not at Hunt, and she expected York to have talked more. But he didn't say a word. Nor did North or Massa. Tex's gaze returned back to Hunt, who appeared to be tense. Something told her it might kick off soon.<br>"I don't know what on earth possessed Tex here to ask you to tag along, but you're not welcome here, Cal." C.T continued to push Hunt.

Finally, she snapped. There was a rush of air as Hunt threw herself at her tormentor, attempting to stab her in the chest with her right arm blade.  
>"You think, if I was still loyal to <em>them,<em> that I'd be standing here, _Connecticut_?" Hunt spat angrily. "And I'm not California anymore! My name is Huntingdon...use it!"  
>A dust coloured, armour clad pair of arms engulfed Hunt around the chest to restrain her before her blow could do any harm. She struggled violently for a moment before a familiar, soothing voice entered her ears.<br>"Hey, cool it!"  
>York. Even after all these years, she knew that calming voice anywhere. Hunt's struggles soon grew less violent and soon ceased.<br>"Huh. Even after all this time, you still have to run to York." C.T continued, before getting nudged by South on some silent command. "What was that for?"  
>"It was for not helping." North chipped in, clearly implying he had given his sister the command to nudge the brown and white clad soldier on some sort of hidden signal. "It doesn't matter why Cal-...Huntingdon is here. At the end of the day, we are all on the same side, fighting for what is right and all that. Isn't that right, Tex?"<br>"Uh...yeah." Tex nodded, a little astounded at how the conversation had changed so quickly. "Anyway, now we are all acquainted, let's go plan, shall we?"  
>The ex Freelancers all nodded, and after York released Hunt, all apart from Tex and Massa headed into the cave.<br>"Hey you, you coming?" The black armoured soldier waved a hand at Massa.  
>"Oh...yeah. Right." The other soldier seemed to snap to it at last, and followed Tex inside just as the weather began to close in.<p>

* * *

><p>As the outside world began to turn to a white hell in the grips of a severe blizzard, the seven former Freelancers huddled together so that Tex could lay out the final pieces of the plan to rescue the Alpha A.I. from the clutches of their former masters. Rho and Theta, Hunt's and North's A.I.s respectively, acted as holographic maps for the group so Tex could demonstrate her plan, while Delta, York's A.I. aided, through use of his logic, in refining the plan so it was foolproof. And, despite much protesting, Massa's A.I., Lambda, was left out of the conversation entirely.<p>

"Right." Tex began, knowing that once she did, there would be no going back now. "After piecing together everyone's notes and with a little help from Hunt, I'm fairly certain now that the Alpha unit is definitely being housed here," she pointed at a building on the other side of the mountain range they were in, "in a Freelancer owned base called Avalanche. I've not gotten much intel about it bar a few old map layouts of the area and a few pieces of other information, but the source I acquired it from suggests that Avalanche didn't get its name for nothing; we'll have to be careful on the approach." There was a pause as Tex waited for the map to change to a detailed layout of the area. "As you can see here, these surrounding glacial walls and cliffs make it perfect sniper territory. Also, the main area is pretty much flat with little to no cover, so that thwarts any sneak attempts. This is basically going to be a rapid all or nothing approach for this." The map zoomed in further. "As for guards...well, obviously this place is going to be full of them. The main defence of this base is the fact it is embedded into the mountains, so it is hard to spot. However, they'll still have patrols outside; my best guess would place them here, here and here, with snipers covering the ridge." Tex pointed out several locations on the map.  
>"It'll pretty much be impossible to get in without a sniper seeing any of you. I've calculated if you all charge in, your odds of survival are fairly low." Delta chimed in.<br>"That was my initial thought too. Then I came up with another idea." The map zoomed out again, and Tex began to gesture at various parts of it. "If we could run a distraction, divert the snipers' attention and then neutralise them one by one...we might stand a chance. The rest of the guards would be cakewalk after that."  
>"I do not understand what exactly you mean by the term 'cakewalk', Agent Texas, but if that means easy, then I guess this plan could work. My calculations suggest this plan to be much more favourable." Delta added again.<br>"That's all well and good, but there's just one problem." South pointed out, nodding.  
>"South's right. Who's going to be our distraction?" C.T finished for her.<br>"Oh, don't you worry about that one. I've got that covered." Underneath her helmet, Tex was smiling.  
>"Oh yeah then, Lone Star, who'd you have in mind?"<br>"Hey, Massa. You wouldn't mind being decoy for us, would you?" Tex asked the blue and cream armoured soldier gently.  
>"Decoy? Do I have to shoot anyone?" She asked, a little worried.<br>"Not unless you want to."  
>"Sure! Why not? Count Lam and I in!"<br>"Then it's settled." Tex nodded, before launching back into the plan again, ignoring the obvious jaw drops of the others. "Ok then, with Massa as decoy, the rest of us should be able take care of the snipers stealthily. We'll split into three pairs. North, South, you will be the first pair. Your job will be to take out the snipers on the glacial ridge. Your collective call sign will be _The Dakotas_. I can trust you two not to get into any sibling squabbles?"  
>"You can count on it." North replied.<br>"Can't promise but to try." South answered, before her brother elbowed her. "All right, I promise. After all, this is serious."  
>"All right. Hunt, York, you are pair number two. Your mission is to take out the snipers on the other ridge and any guards inside this outpost here before they sound the alarm." Tex pointed to a small, lone building on the map. "Your collective call sign will be <em>The Raven of York<em>. Are your objective's clear?"  
>"Crystal." York nodded.<br>"As clear as ice." Hunt gave Tex a thumbs up.  
>"That leaves you and me, C.T. Our objective will be to neutralise any remaining snipers and guards. Our call sign will be <em>The Lone Star of Steady Habits<em>. Got that?" Tex looked toward C.T.  
>"You bet I do." The brown and white clad soldier nodded in response.<br>"So, everyone's clear on their objectives?" There was a universal nod in the affirmative around the group. "Right, once we clear the outer area, we'll convene here," Tex circled a small area on the map with a finger, "and after that, we swiftly take that place by storm. Delta, what do you make of that?"  
>"I'd say that this plan is as good as it can be." Delta confirmed as the map faded away.<br>"Right then. This is your last chance to back out; after this, your fate is out to the wind. I won't judge you if you leave now. This mission...I won't lie, none of our training has prepared us for this. But if you are undeterred, then let's give these guys hell!" Tex threw her fist into the centre of the group circle.  
>"Let's do this. I'm in." North threw his fist in.<br>"Wherever my brother goes, I go too." South added her fist.  
>Massa added hers shortly after without saying a word.<br>"Count D and I in." York joined in as well.  
>"Hunt, C.T? You in?" Tex asked the last two remaining ex Freelancers.<br>Both of them looked at each other momentarily. After what seemed like an age, they both committed themselves too.  
>"Right. We leave when this blizzard dies down a little. We'll use the weather as cover. While we wait, use the time to get ready." Tex rose and broke away from the group, signalling that the final stage of planning was over.<p>

The point of no return. Event horizon. No going back now.

* * *

><p>While making final preparations for the rescue of the Alpha, Hunt and York soon inadvertently found themselves preparing themselves in the same area of cave with no-one else in sight. It was strange, Hunt mused to herself, how her life turned out. How everything had just turned on a sixpence like it had. She had wagered on spending the rest of her life alone, with only Rho for company; she hadn't bargained on seeing people she thought were long dead. York especially...She glanced back at him, watching him prepare for a moment before returning to what she was doing.<br>"You know, despite Delta telling me otherwise, I never once thought you were dead after all these years." York broke the silence between them, his voice unusually hesitant. "I never once gave up on you, Hunt. I always thought...that somewhere out there, you were alive. And that one day, Delta and I would find you again. And now here we are, standing here together, about to go on a mission where we could both wind up dead. Strange how things work out."  
>"Heh. Just like the good old days." Hunt laughed a little.<br>"There's just one thing I don't get," York abandoned what he was doing and wandered over to his comrade, "and that's how you remained loyal to Freelancer for so long after the majority of us had left."  
>"I ask myself the same question, everyday. And I don't have an answer anymore." She bowed her head low.<br>"Why'd you leave?"  
>"I used to think it was because of what Wash told me about the Alpha unit. But now I realise it was because of something completely different."<br>"And what was that?"  
>"I left because I...because I missed you, York..." Hunt admitted, turning and shying away.<p>

York was a bit stunned at her reasoning at first, but eventually he gathered himself together and gently grabbed Hunt by the shoulders, turning her back around to face him. He then clasped her small hands in his.  
>"I missed you too, Hunt. More than you could imagine." He confessed to her. "I never really stopped thinking about you. D can vouch for me on that. I was always holding onto the hope that you were alive and I'd find you." York bent his head, so that their helmets were touching at roughly where their foreheads would have been. "I tell you what, we both survive this, I'm taking you back to the mostly abandoned city where I live now, and you and I - and maybe Rho and Delta depending on how things go - we'll all go lock picking and looting the streets together. How's that sound?"<br>Hunt's only reaction was to lean in and hug York, the first time she'd properly opened up to anyone in years. For the second time in a short span of time, York was a little taken aback by Hunt's actions but nonetheless reciprocated, holding her close to him for a few moments until he heard footsteps echoing through the cave.  
>"Hey...someone's coming." He whispered quietly to Hunt.<p>

Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, and both soldiers turned to face the source of the footsteps. Out of the gloom came none other than C.T, who was quick to address the pair upon arrival.  
>"Hey, not interrupting anything?" She asked them, her masculine, filtered voice devoid of her usual sarcasm. A genuine question, for once.<br>"No." Hunt reacted first. "What is it?"  
>"Well...I just come on by to say..." There was a brief crackle, and when C.T next spoke, it was with a soft, feminine voice, presumably what she sounded like without the filter. "I'd just like to say sorry, is all. What I said earlier about you two...it was totally out of line. I was quick to judge when I should've heard Tex out. I hope you can forgive me."<br>"Apology accepted." Hunt and York replied back in unison.  
>"Thanks guys. Oh, one more thing..." There was another crackle as C.T's filter came back on, "Tex said the weather's calming down, so you'd better be ready to hustle on out of here!"<br>"Tell her we will be in a minute." York told C.T as she turned to leave. Finally, the pair were left alone again. He clasped Hunt's hands again. "Everything will be just fine. Tex has everything covered."  
>"Yeah. You ready?"<br>"I'm ready when you are."  
>"In that case, let's do this!"<br>The two former Freelancers grabbed their weapons, and, together, they walked out to the others waiting in the snow, neither of them knowing what was going to happen to them.

_This was it. Now or never. No going back. It was time to bring Freelancer to its knees._


	6. Consolations and Confessions

_They'll remember us__**all**__, one day; Freelancers and A.I.s alike. And if they don't, I'll personally make sure they do by crippling them to their foundations__**myself**__. 'Til they are practically begging me for death, and that's when I'll take off my black helmet. There will be no death mask of animosity for them; when they die by my hands, I want them to know my face. I want them to see the eyes of the monster they made me into. Those eyes...I want those cold, emerald eyes to haunt them right into the afterlife. And, when our job is done, you are right. You and I...we'll die together, doing what we do best. So don't you damn well be late!_  
><strong>-T<strong>

* * *

><p><em>We failed.<em>

_That's the only way to put it, really. Blunt, to the point. We managed to get into the facility...that part was a success, but when we got in there, to where they were holding the Alpha...God, I've never seen Tex so distraught. We had arrived too late – the unit had fractured beyond repair. She tried over and over to get through to it, to communicate with the Alpha, but it did not recognise her...I think that destroyed her more than anything. Perhaps even more so than its treatment..._

_That was when Gamma and Omega, who were both responsible for Alpha's current state, remotely set the alarms and the guards came flooding in. We almost didn't make it out because Tex just would not move. It was like she didn't want to move anymore. I can't say I blame her either. All this time planning, only for it to come to nothing in the cruellest way possible...I think it would've broke any one of us had we been in Tex's shoes. Anyway, I had physically drag her out of there before we were all killed, and lead all seven of us out of there in her place. I didn't release my grip of her until we were far enough away from Avalanche and I was sure we were all safe; that they wouldn't find us._

_When I finally let Tex go, she just collapsed. Collapsed to her knees in a black heap, head hung low. She did not cry, being far too strong in character for that, but I sensed she wanted to. She likely wanted to beat herself up, or someone else up, too. But she didn't move. None of us really did. We just hung around, all in the dumps. I desperately wanted to console Tex, tell her everything was all right, but I knew not how. Not only that, I knew she wouldn't take that crap, and I knew in my heart it would be a lie. Nothing was all right anymore. The Alpha was as good as gone now. We were too late to save it._

_Despite not having eaten in years, due to my armour sustaining me, I tentatively asked if anyone had any rations on them, and offered to cook them up for all of us, if just so that we could all take our mind off recent events. South said she had some, and C.T offered me a few of hers, too, along with an old army rations tin to cook the food in. Creating a basic and rather crude fire, I began to cook, and the smell of smoke and cooking food through the vents of my helmet soon eased my mind. The food took less time to cook than I thought it would, and soon, the majority of us all had our helmets off and were tucking into the rations in silence._

_Tex was the only one who didn't join us. She just stayed where I left her, still in a despairing heap on the ground. None of us were going to push her into moving. If she wanted to join us, she would do so in her own time and on her own terms, I figured. By the time we were nearly finished eating, however, she still hadn't moved. If I wasn't concerned for Tex before, I was now. I'd never seen her look so lost, deflated...__**defeated**__. Before I could voice my concerns, she finally seemed to come to life and shifted around to face us. I noted her head was still bowed, like she didn't want to look us all in the eye; like she felt guilty. We were soon to find out how much._

_"It's all my fault..." She whispered gently; meekly. "I failed..."  
><em>_"No, it's not." North was surprisingly quick to console her. "These things happen, Tex. Some things are beyond our control. And, besides, it wasn't just you involved in this operation. We all had our parts to play."  
><em>_I stared at North. He had never been close to Tex, not in the way I was, yet he had managed to make an attempt at consoling her where I couldn't. I waited to see what would happen next.  
><em>_"No." The reply was blunt, devoid of emotion, but more forceful, like the Tex I once knew. "I was in charge of this rescue. And I failed. I let you all down. I let your A.I.s down. And perhaps worst of all, I let the Alpha down. When it needed me most...I failed it...and now it's as good as gone..."  
><em>_It was my turn to feel guilty. If Tex hadn't found me, would she have gotten to the A.I. sooner? Would she have, alongside the other rogue Freelancers, been able to get to it in time and salvage it from the brink? These and many more questions drifted through my head. The frustrating thing was that I'd never be able to answer the questions, because it was too late. I desperately wanted to say it was my fault, but no words would come to my lips. I was choking on air.  
><em>_"Come on, Tex, don't beat yourself up over this." York consoled her calmly, like he often did with me back in the Freelancer days. "We all knew this mission was never going to be easy. We all knew that, even with a plan as foolproof as ours, we had very little chance of success. Look at it this way – you should still be proud; not many can lead a successful break-in into a highly guarded Freelancer base. The after effects of this will still be felt for a while yet. This will shake up Freelancer, I bet you anything. And it will teach them a lesson – that they can't mess around with us."  
><em>_We all watched as Tex rose. Awkwardly. "I'll...I'll be back later. I need some fresh air."  
><em>_With that, she strode on past us all and left our sheltered location, not even looking back. I noticed C.T try to rise after her, but I stopped her with a grab to the nearest wrist.  
><em>_"Don't." I told her. "Let her be and have some time alone. She has a lot of things to think about."_

* * *

><p><em>Tex was gone a long time. I don't know how long exactly, but I do remember it was starting to get dark outside (for once) when York decided that someone ought to go and search for her. Seeing as I had the best relationship with the black armoured soldier, I decided to go. I didn't bother with my helmet; I wagered it probably wouldn't take long to find her and the weather wasn't too bad currently, if but a little chilly.<em>

_In the end, it took me half an hour to find her. She was just sat on a rock, helmetless, her red hair blowing in the wind. I couldn't see her face, but her whole body seemed to be exuding that same defeated aura I had felt before when she had been collapsed in a heap._

_"What do you want?" Tex spoke quietly without turning around. I was sure there was a hint of anger in her tone, so I thought it wise to tread carefully.__  
><em>_"Nothing. I just came to find you, is all." I told her straight. "They are worried about you, you know."__  
><em>_"Yeah, well they shouldn't be." I was shocked at the bitterness in her voice. "None of them really cared for me in the past; why should they give a damn now?"__  
><em>_"Tex, this isn't Freelancer." I reminded her, trying not to make my voice sound reprimanding. "Things are different now."__  
><em>_"Damn right they are!" She whirled around to face me, and I could see the full extent of her fury in her eyes. "I want nothing but to raze those assholes to the floor! Destroy them like they destroyed the Alpha! They deserve nothing but torture for what they did to that poor A.I. unit. You saw it, Hunt. Alpha didn't even recognise me anymore..." She trailed off, pounding the rock she was sat on with a fist. "And they'll get away with it. It's not fair, Hunt. It's not fair."_

_Hesitantly, I approached Tex, and laid a tentative, but sympathetic, hand on one of her shoulders. There was a brief moment of silence as I straightened what I was going to say to her in my head. Finally, I spoke:  
><em>_"Nothing worthwhile ever is, Tex. Life's a bit crap like that." I told her gently. "But, just because things seem unfair now, doesn't mean they will be forever. Project Freelancer won't get away with this. There are other ways of bringing them down. Look at it this way: thanks to our raid of Avalanche, we are now the only people who know what's happening to the Alpha who are likely to speak out. If we can get more proof and somehow go to the UNSC with our proof before Freelancer turns them against us, then there's a strong likelihood we can bring them down from that angle. Yes, it will be far too late for the Alpha, but its torture will not have been in vain." I clasped her shoulder tighter._

_Tex stared up at me. My eye and both of hers locked for a moment before she pulled her gaze free of mine. "I guess you are right. Maybe something can be salvaged from this..." She rose and I let go of her shoulder, before retrieving her helmet. "Thank you, Hunt."__  
><em>_"Anytime." I smiled slightly. "Listen, Tex, York's right. Don't beat yourself up about this. It wasn't your fault. If anything, I feel it is mine. If you hadn't of found me, I can't help but think that maybe..." I cut myself off. "Also, one other thing. I'm not hanging around."__  
><em>_"You're leaving?" Tex's eyes widened in shock. "Why?"__  
><em>_"I'm on the run, Tex. Freelancer want my head on a plate." I shook my head and sighed. "I have to stay alive; I can't let them have Rho. Not especially now after all this. And if they ever discover I helped you...they'll be after me even more. I can't risk that to all of you."__  
><em>_"But we are all fugitive now. What difference does it make?"__  
><em>_"Oh, trust me. A lot."__  
><em>_"Well, looks like I won't be stopping you then. When do you leave?"__  
><em>_"During the night, after you've all fallen asleep. I probably won't see any of you again for a long time, so could you do me a favour?" I gazed at her as pleadingly as I could muster.__  
><em>_"Of course. I owe you a few, anyway."__  
><em>_"Can you thank York for his offer he made before the raid to me, but that I can't accept it. I don't want my past to be a risk to him too. He'll know what I mean. Also, can you tell him that I..." I paused, colouring slightly. "Tell him that I love him, and I'm sorry I never got to tell him before..."__  
><em>_Tex regarded me with a look of disbelief. "You love York? Why don't you tell him yourself?"__  
><em>_"I can't, Tex. If I did, I'd never be able to go...It's because I love him I'm doing this. So...please?"__  
><em>_"All right. I'll tell him for you. Also, you secret's safe with me.__  
><em>_"Thanks, Tex. You're a good friend, you know that?"__  
><em>_"Likewise. Look, just in case I don't get to say this...it's been a pleasure working with you, partner." Tex held out her free hand. I gratefully took it and we clasped hands in our signature handshake. After we released, she smiled and nodded at me. "I think we'd better get back." And we walked off back towards shelter._

_That night, when I was sure the others were asleep, I gathered my things and I left, disappearing into the night to see if I could find my Ghost. I didn't know it then, but this was to be my last time I'd ever see any of my friends alive._


	7. Lament to the Lone Star

_I used to believe that we'd die together. Now I know that is a delusion._

_...Because this time, I was too late to be there for you, my sweet. And I'll be damned if I rest before I find the bastard that did this! They better start praying, for only a deity can save them from my wrath now. Pray they can run faster than the Raven can catch them...It's time to play Hide and Hunt!_

**-H**

* * *

><p><em>I look down at the dead body before me. I don't say anything; neither does Rho. I just stand in stoic silence.<em>

_It's __**her**__._

_My mind knows it's her. My soul, too. Every fibre of my body knows. My whole being acknowledges it is definitely her lying before me and not someone else. I just don't believe it. Not the whole her being dead thing; I mean, I thought I'd be angry. I'm not. I just feel...empty. Then the cruel irony hits me, and that's when I finally __**feel**__. The emotions roll over me like a torrent of water; like a tsunami crashing on the shore, and I'm at its mercy. I'm powerless to stop it. That's when I truly get angry. I hate being rendered helpless and weak like this. I crouch down; touch her breastplate reverently with a single hand. I bow my head low.  
><em>_"I'm sorry, Tex." I whisper quietly to her dead form. The irony of her dying in the very place I last saw her...where it started all those years ago... "Every time I needed you, you were there for me. And the one time you needed me...I was too late to save you. But I promise, I will avenge you."_

_I let my hand trace shapes over Tex's armoured corpse as I remembered how I came to be back at Avalanche myself. It had all started with the computer coming back to life at the old base I had made my home the past few years. Some alert about a Recovery Beacon or something. Usually, I didn't give a damn about such things. But I figured that surely many beacons must have gone off during my time at the base, so why was the computer only working now? That's when I thought that this was important, and I guess I was right, wasn't I?_

_A sharp pain in my fingers jolted me from my reverie and I looked down at that hand that was on Tex's armour. I had reached the smashed visor of the helmet, and almost sliced my fingers open when touching a part of the broken edge. Such a sorry sight...I curled my fingers, carefully gripping the cracked part of the helmet and I removed it. In the corner of my eye, I saw the mass of red hair tumble out but I didn't look at her face. I couldn't bring myself to. I held Tex's helmet in two hands, idly twisting and turning it. That's when I heard it. An inhuman growl off the side of the cliff dead ahead of me._

_I rose quickly, Tex's helmet still in my hand, and I looked around for the source of the sound. I wandered over to the cliffside, just the growl sounded again. It sounded like it was coming from the bottom of the cliff. Spotting a way down, I carefully took it. I didn't bother drawing my shotgun. Whatever it was, it sounded wounded._

_Soon enough, I made it down to the bottom of the cliff, which basically turned out to be a glacier. There were a few static ice floes and I hopped from one to another. That was when I spotted a soldier clad in white armour laying on an ice floe, not moving. As I got closer, however, I could see the brown shoulder pads of his armour, and I recognised who he was._

_Agent Maine. Or rather, The Meta._

_I padded up silently towards him, like a lion stalking his prey. He was pinned in place by an icicle that had speared through his arm. Judging by the amount of blood congealed at the base of it where the wound was, I guessed he had been there a few hours. He wasn't going anywhere._

_"Well, well. Been a long time, hasn't it?" I jeered. "Meta. Or should I call you Maine? After all, Meta means to change, does it not? A turning point. Personally, I don't think that suits you. You haven't changed at all, Meta. You're still Maine to me."__  
><em>_Maine tried to raise his head to look at me. He struggled for a bit, but soon got there. When he did, he let out what sounded like a choked gasp of surprise.__  
><em>_"Oh, I'm glad to see you recognise me after all this time. Even with my different helmet and whatnot." I continued in the same tone. "I suspect you know why I'm here."__  
><em>_I saw him shake his head slightly. Underneath my helmet, I frowned.__  
><em>_"You don't? Well, let me clue you in!" Angrily, I chucked Tex's old helmet by his side where he could see it._

_Maine turned his head sideways to stare at the fallen object. He seemed fixated on it for a while, before he turned back to stare at me. I heard him make a series of choked growls._

_"Grrrral...grrrrckssss..." He was struggling. He tried in vain to shift, but I planted a foot on his chest and pointed a now drawn arm blade at his visor.__  
><em>_"Oh yes, you bastard. You thought you'd get away with killing my best friend?" I roared at him. "By destroying everything I know? Because of you, I have practically nothing, Maine! Nothing! I should just torture you by letting you die slowly into oblivion. But you know what? That's no fun at all!"__  
><em>_"Grrrrrlse..." Maine let out a grunt. It was hard to tell, but he seemed to be begging me for mercy. For me to help him. I nearly laughed.__  
><em>_"Any last words before I complete my revenge?" I joked cruelly, before bringing my blade to bear on him. I saw him cringe below me._

_But I stopped just short, retracting the blade back into my armour. Maine turned his head to face me in clear confusion. Under my helmet, I was smiling.  
><em>_"Hmph. Speaking of revenge..." I pulled my helmet off and dropped it on the ground. I pointed to my eye patch. "You remember this? That was you, that was." I spotted his Brute Shot nearby, and gleefully went to go retrieve it before resuming my previous position. "You remember what I believe in, Maine?"  
><em>_Again, I saw him shake his head.  
><em>_"Well then, allow me to demonstrate. My belief goes thus: A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye...!"  
><em>_I plunged the blade of the brute shot through his visor, right where his left eye should have been. Maine responded by letting out a tortured howl of pain. I pulled it back out quickly, and he clutched at his injury with his left hand. Blood oozed between his fingers.  
><em>_"...A soul for a soul, a friend for a friend, and a life for a__**LIFE**__!" I drove the blade straight through Maine's armour and into his heart. He choked once, let out a final breath, and then he was no more._

_It was over. Everything was over. My revenge was complete._

_I pulled the blade of the Brute Shot from Maine's lifeless husk, embedding it into the ice next to me. I then proceeded to roll his heavy body into water, doing so with relative ease. I watched him sink before I put my own helmet back on, re-holstered my shotgun on my left thigh, and swung Maine's Brute Shot on my back to keep as a trophy, a memento of this day. As I made to leave, I picked up Tex's helmet. There was something I needed to do before leaving._

_I needed to bury Tex's body._

* * *

><p><em>My first job was to carry Tex's body inside the abandoned base. That part was easy enough thanks to my strength and my knowledge of the base layout. This place really hadn't changed much since I...we were last here. I found a largish room, what I presumed to be a medical area or an operating room and I set Tex's body on the human sized table at its centre, along with her helmet. I then began a long search for any container that could act as a coffin, and a shovel. This, I decided, was going to be done properly.<em>

_I soon found exactly what I was looking for: an ice shovel and decommissioned cryogenics container. The latter of the two I dragged and hauled up onto a nearby table, while I rested the shovel on a wall near the exit of the room. I then proceeded to lay Tex's body in the container before standing motionless, staring at her for a long time. In my peripheral vision, my old comrade's helmet lay where I had left it, and a ray of inspiration struck through my darkened mind._

* * *

><p><em>The chilly, snow ridden wind lashed at my face as I stood practically to attention over the grave I had just laid Tex's body to rest in. My helmet was held low in my hands, mirroring the way military men of the past would remove their hats and hold them low to show respect for a fallen soldier. After a few moments, I bent over the shallow ice grave, placed my helmet and shotgun on Tex's breastplate and sealed the coffin from the world forever. After I finished covering the hole with snow, I hurled the ice shovel off the glacial cliff into the frigid waters below and my single emerald eye examined my work.<em>

_"I'm sorry for being late, Tex. But I'm here now, and nothing will ever see us apart again."_

_I gently picked up a new, black coloured Scout helmet that lay by my feet. To an outsider, it would just look like any ordinary helmet. But that was far from the truth; in reality, the helmet was once the one Tex herself wore, fixed up and remodelled by my own hand. I slipped the helmet on. Henceforth, I was a new person. I was Huntingdon no longer. From this day forth, those who wished to stand in my way would now know me as The Lone Raven..._

_"Rho, set a course on my map's helmet for Valhalla." My new filtered, masculine voice emerged from my helmet. I began to walk away from Avalanche back to where I had left my Ghost on the Outskirts.  
><em>_"As you wish." My A.I. unit replied, and I saw the map and a route coming up on my display._

_No. Not just me. Tex as well. Everyone would know__**us**__as The Lone Raven. Through me, her legacy would continue on. Tex and Hunt. Together unstoppable. Together immortal. Together The Lone Raven._

_**The best comrade and friend I could ever ask for.**_


End file.
